PUTRAJAYA: A letter from Saudi royalty became the highlight of Datuk Seri Najib Razak's corruption trial for the alleged misappropriation of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds today.
Deputy public prosecutor Kamal Bahrin Omar questioned the former prime minister about the document, noting that it did not mention Najib's meeting with the late King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia in 2010.
Najib, who concurred with the prosecution's suggestion also agreed that the letter dated Feb 1, 2011, used a letterhead bearing the name Saud Abdulaziz bin Majid Al Saud, a former governor of the Madinah province.
The prosecution also queried how the Saudi royalty knew Najib's home address to send the letter, to which the former Pekan member of parliament responded that his address was public knowledge.
Kamal Baharin: During the private meeting with King Abdullah, was Saud Abdulaziz present?
Najib: He was not present.
Kamal Baharin: I suggest that Saud Abdulaziz was not even aware of this meeting.
Najib: I disagree.
Kamal: How did they (the Arab royalty who allegedly wrote the donation letters) know your address, as written in the letters?
Najib: I'm not sure.
Kamal: You never wondered how they knew your address?
Najib: My address is public knowledge.
Kamal: Is it on a website?
Najib: I'm not sure, but many people know it.
Najib said this when testifying in his defence in multiple corruption charges involving the sovereign wealth fund financial scandal.
Najib has, all this while, maintained that the donation received in his AmIslamic bank account was a result of a private meeting with King Abdullah in Saudi Arabia in 2010.
He claimed King Abdullah during the private meeting promised him financial support.
He claimed four letters from the Arab royalty — issued between Feb 1, 2011, and June 1, 2014 — promised donations of US$100 million, US$375 million, US$800 million, and £50 million.
All four letters bore the address of Najib's residence in Jalan Langgak Duta, Taman Duta, here.
Najib, 71, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
Hearing before presiding judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.